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Blair tells his force to clean up its act — finally: Hume

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has confirmed what many Torontonians have long suspected, namely that some of this city’s cops are anything but tops.

In a five-minute video Blair taped and sent to 8,000 members of the force Monday, he railed against “behaviour which undermines public confidence and public trust in us.”

He also talked about “a totally unacceptable sense of arrogance and entitlement that causes the people of this city to wonder what kind of people are serving them.”

No kidding.

As the current trial into the horrific death of Sgt. Ryan Russell had made clear once again, being a cop means putting your life on the line on a daily basis; for that, we owe them our gratitude.

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Blair rightly pointed out that there are countless examples of officers doing good work in the city every day. “You see police officers going out, putting themselves at risk, reaching out to members of the community, helping a young kid get back on his feet, helping a poor person, a homeless person, a victim of crime. I’m proud of the work that we do,” he said.

But, big stuff or small — organized G20 police violence or paid-duty cops parking illegally — Toronto cops look increasingly like a force out of control, a force whose priorities are its own, not those of the community.

The main criticism one would make of Blair’s outburst is that it was too long in coming. Thus far, the chief has preferred to stand behind his officers, regardless. But in recent years, stories of police brutality and seriously bad behaviour seem to appear almost weekly. It appears officers can lie, steal, beat and even kill with near impunity.

God knows the SIU (Special Investigations Unit) exonerates the police in the vast majority of cases. Indeed, the unit’s pro-cop bias was noted by Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin, who in a 2007 report wrote about the “blue-coloured glasses” through which the agency views the world.

Even for those of us who aren’t drug dealers, mental patients, gang members, young black men or innocent bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time, the casual arrogance of some cops on the street is infuriating and even frightening.

No doubt police need special powers, but that doesn’t put them above the law. From the point of view of the average guy, however, all too often it’s the police who appear to be the worst offenders. What appears to be their general indifference to the populace, let alone the basics of law and order, leaves many citizens wanting to avoid the police altogether.

Whether dealing with criminals or coyotes, Toronto cops can be quick to pull out their guns and use them. They can also be quick to violence but slow to apologize or admit wrongdoing.

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“The problem lies in the behaviour,” Blair reminded his staff. “It’s the behaviour which damages our service; it’s the behaviour that damages your relationship with the people of Toronto.”

There was no explanation of how Blair will back up his warning. And at this point, Torontonians need to see actions more than words.

Cynics and those in the know theorized that Blair’s video is a pre-emptive strike, in advance of yet more damaging allegations that will emerge soon. Who would be surprised?

To add insult to injury, Toronto police enjoy a compensation package so generous that about 40 percent of the force — 3,200 people — earn more than $100,000 annually. Clearly, the Sunshine List shines brightly on Toronto’s finest. Plus they get free parking, anywhere on the streets, sidewalks and bike lanes of the city.

The fact crime has been on the decrease for more than decade has apparently been forgotten in Toronto.

For Blair, however, the hard part will be turning around this culture of “arrogance and entitlement” that he mentioned. It has trickled down even to those standing idly by construction sites while being paid to do nothing but wear a uniform.

Like the street gangs they battle, Toronto cops stick together, follow a code of silence and, often, aren’t afraid to indulge in a little intimidation. More than ever, they have come to resemble those whom they fight against on our behalf.

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